Clinton team plans 11:30 am ET conference call on Obama’s Iraq plan w/ Gen. Wesley Clark and others

[BobbyVan]

Presumably to continue to press this issue:

http://thepage.time.com/saturdays-second-clinton-iraq-memo/

To: Interested Parties
From: The Clinton Campaign
RE: Obama Response Memo: Just Words

FACT: Barack Obama gave a speech opposing the Iraq war in 2002.

FACT: Barack Obama didn’t do much to act on his opposition to the war when he got to the Senate in 2004.

FACT: After opposing hard end dates for the war, Barack Obama made them a centerpiece of his White House run and attacks Hillary Clinton regularly for not advocating a hard end date.

FACT: Barack Obama’s top foreign policy adviser said that despite Barack Obama’s campaign rhetoric, his plan for hard end dates is really a “best case scenario” and that he “will, of course, not rely on some plan that he’s crafted as a presidential candidate.”

So which campaign is doing whatever it takes to win?

[babylonsister]

1. Read this and get back to me:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3218627

[bigtree]

4. three generals?

Former Admirals and Generals Endorsing Hillary Clinton for President and Commander-in-Chief

* General Wesley Clark
* General John M. Shalikashvili
* General Henry Hugh Shelton
* General Johnnie E. Wilson
* Admiral William Owens
* Lt. Gen. Joe Ballard
* Lt. Gen. Robert Gard
* Lt. Gen. Claudia J. Kennedy
* Lt. Gen. Donald L. Kerrick
* Lt. Gen. Frederick E. Vollrath
* Vice Admiral Donald C. Arthur
* Vice Admiral Joseph A. Sestak
* Major General Roger R. Blunt
* Major General George A. Buskirk, Jr.
* Major General Edward L. Correa, Jr.
* Major General Paul D. Eaton
* Major General Paul D. Monroe, Jr.
* Major General Antonio M. Taguba
* Rear Admiral Connie Mariano
* Rear Admiral Stuart F. Platt
* Rear Admiral Alan M. Steinman
* Rear Admiral David Stone
* Brigadier General Michael Dunn
* Brigadier General Belisario Flores
* Brigadier General Evelyn "Pat" Foote
* Brigadier General Keith H. Kerr
* Brigadier General Virgil A. Richard
* Brigadier General Preston Taylor
* Brigadier General John M. Watkins, Jr.
* Brigadier General Jack Yeager

[Apollo11]

10. "Yes ma'am, Madam President!"

:patriot:

[babylonsister]

11. Wow, I'm impressed...

but that wasn't the point. Slamming Obama doesn't make the slam justified, but aren't you mature. So am I. And I'll see you once we have a nominee, bigtree. I'd rather preserve my respect for you than lose it. Bye.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Barack_Obama_presidential_campaign_endorsements

Presidential staff and advisors

* Zbigniew Brzezinski, former National Security Advisor <88>
* Greg Craig, fmr. Assistant to the President and Director of Policy Planning, State Department<85>
* William M. Daley, former Secretary of Commerce <89>
* Eric Holder, former Deputy Attorney General <85>
* Noel Koch, fmr. Special Assistant to President Nixon; former Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs<85>
* Lawrence Korb, Assistant Secretary of Defense<85>
* Anthony Lake, President Bill Clinton's National Security Advisor <85>
* Robert Litt, former Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General; US Attorney<85>
* Jan Lodal, former Deputy Undersecretary of Defense<85>
* Susan E. Rice, former Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs <89>
* David Scheffer, former Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues <85>
* Sarah Sewell, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense<85>
* Gayle Smith, Special Assistant to the President, National Security Council<85>
* Ted Sorensen, President John F. Kennedy's top advisor and speechwriter <90>
* Tara Sonenshine, former Special Assistant to the President, National Security Council<85>
* David Wilhelm, President Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign chairman<91>


Military

* Clifford Alexander, Jr., former Secretary of the Army<85>
* Susan Ahn Cuddy, first female gunner officer in the U.S. Navy and daughter of Korean Independence fighter Ahn Chang-ho<92>
* Tom Daniels, Texas Air National Guard<85>
* Richard Danzig, former Secretary of the Navy<85>
* Donald Joseph Guter, former Judge Advocate General of the Navy, current Dean, Duquesne University School of Law, Pittsburgh<85>
* Richard D. Hearney, former Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps<85>
* John Hutson, former Judge Advocate General of the U.S. Navy<93>
* Jeh Johnson, former General Counsel of the U.S. Air Force<85>
* Lester Lyles, former Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force<85>
* Merrill A. McPeak, former Secretary of the United States Air Force<94><95>
* John B. Nathman, former Vice Chief of Naval Operations<85>
* F. Whitten Peters, former Secretary of the Air Force<85>
* James Smith, former Deputy Commander, Joint Warfare Center, US Joint Forces Command<85>


National Political Figures

* Jeffrey Bader, former U.S. Ambassador to Namibia and Fmr. Assistant US Trade Representative for Asia<85>
* Henri Barkey, former member of U.S. Department of State Policy Planning and Professor of Lehigh University<85>
* David Birenbaum, former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. for Management and Reform<85>
* Esther Brimmer, former member of U.S. Department of State Policy Planning<85>
* Art Brown, former National Intelligence Officer for East Asia and Chief of CIA's East Asian Operations Division<85>
* Mark Brzezinski, former Director of European Affairs of National Security Council<85>
* Joseph Cirincione, Vice President for National Security and International Policy at the Center for American Progress<85>
* Bonnie Cohen, former Undersecretary of State for Management<85>
* Ivo H. Daalder, former Director, European Affairs, National Security Council<85>
* Alice Dear, former U.S. Executive Director of African Development Bank<85>
* Michael Froman, Chief of Staff and Deputy Assistant Secretary at the Department of Treasury and National Security Council Staff Member<85>
* Tony Gambino, former Mission Director, USAID, Democratic Republic of the Congo<85>
* Tobi Gati, former Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research; Senior Director for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasian Affairs, National Security Council<85>
* Robert S. Gelbard, former Presidential Envoy for the Balkans; Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement; Ambassador to Indonesia; and Ambassador to Bolivia<85>
* John J. Gibbons, former federal appeals court judge<96>
* Matthew Goodman, former Director for Asian Affairs, National Security Council<85>
* Philip Gordon, former Director, European Affairs, National Security Council<85>
* Scott Gould, former Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Management<85>
* Scott Gration, former Director for Strategy, Policy and Planning, U.S. European Command<85>
* John Holum, former Director of ACDA and Undersecretary State for Arms Control and International Security<85>
* Vicki Huddleston, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State and Ambassador to Mali and Madagascar, Chief of Mission to Cuba and Ethiopia<85>
* David Lipton, former Under Secretary of Treasury for International Affairs<85>
* Frank Loy, former Undersecretary of State for Global Affairs<85>
* Donald McHenry, former United States Ambassador to the United Nations<85>
* Norman Mineta, former U.S. Rep. (D-CA), mayor of San Jose, United States Secretary of Transportation and United States Secretary of Commerce<82>
* Newton N. Minow, former Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission<97>
* Alfred H. Moses, former United States Ambassador to Romania<85>
* Nick Rey, former United States Ambassador to Poland<85>
* Witney Schneidman, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs<85>
* Dan Shapiro, former Director, National Security Council<85>
* Mona Sutphen, former Special Assistant to the National Security Advisor<85>
* Jim Vermillion, former Mission Director, USAID, Nicaragua<85>
* Paul Volcker, former Chairman of the Federal Reserve<98>
* Patricia Wald, former Chief Judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit<99>

[bigtree]

29. I don't have a bit of animosity toward you for your advocacy.

And, I see the point you were trying to make, now.

[bigtree]

2. good move. put their Iraq plans into focus and debate

but, I really don't think there's a dime's worth of difference between them on withdrawal.

[BobbyVan]

3. but there IS a difference in rhetoric

Obama is over-promising in order to buy votes from the anti-war left.

Hillary is realistic, and doesn't sell "best case scenarios" to her supporters. She respects them enough to tell the truth.

[bigtree]

6. I'll let them hash this one out.

I don't think this is as much of an issue between them as some may. The 'difference in 'rhetoric' is indeed the most visible difference between them.

[ellacott]

12. Sure she sells the best case scenarios

They all do. She claims that she will withdraw the troops in a similar manner as Obama.

[joeybee12]

13. I agree...personally, neither is quite sure what will happen when they

get in because it gets more complicated every day...if BO had just stuck to saying he would withdraw the troops as soon as possible instead of over-selling, I'd think more highly of him, because he'd be being honest. But he can't do that, because of the knee-jerk IWR crowd that he is preaching to.

[Inuca]

22. Come ON

In terms of withdrawal plans, they are saying basically the same thing. The Clintons are again trying to spin an anthill into an Everest-sized mountain. What Power said in that BBC interview is nothing but common sense. Can you imagine that any military person would agree with NOT taking the CURRENT SITUATION ON THE GROUND into account when the plans for an actual withdrawal are actually drawn? That's all Power said, for crying out loud! And there is no inconsistency with what Obama says in his speeches "as careful going out as we were careless going in", what do you think this might refer to?

[BobbyVan]

31. Obama's website says nothing about "taking the current situation on the ground into account"

"Obama will immediately begin to remove our troops from Iraq. He will remove one to two combat brigades each month, and have all of our combat brigades out of Iraq within 16 months."

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/iraq/

[Inuca]

36. So?

Ever heard about the difference between a strategic plan (what you quoted) and its tactical implementation (which includes taking the current situation into account)? Or I may also refer you to my favorite Colbert quote about Bush thinking the same thing on Wednesday as on Monday, irrespective of what may have happened on Tuesday. Would you like another CIC like that? I surely would not.

[BobbyVan]

39. You misunderstand me.

I actually like what Samantha Power said. But she went WAY off-message, because Obama is still making ridiculous promises like "I will have all US troops out of Iraq during 2009." There is no way that he can promise that. It's irresponsible.

Again, at least Hillary respects the voters enough to be honest with them about her plans for troops in Iraq.

[karynnj]

34. I think maybe Kerry would be a good judge of that as the one who was actually working on that

I assume he knows who the biggest roadblocks in the Democratic party were. (I do wish Obama had voted for Kerry/Feingold as it would have made things harder - though not impossible - for HRC to spin. HRC was following WJC's advice to the right of the Democratic Senators on this in 2005 and 2006.

[zanne]

5. This could backlash for Hillary.

If she wins the nomination, I'd really like to be able to vote for her without holding my nose, but she's making it difficult.

[bigtree]

7. so what? Who cares where you hold yourself as you vote?

[UALRBSofL]

8. What is this about?

I don't understand the point. What is planned, a big media speech about "Wes Clark and Hillary's plans for removal of troops from Iraq"? I'm not sure what is going on here.

[Divernan]

9. Bill Clinton's Secretaries of Army, Navy,& Air Force endorsing Obama at 1 p.m.

Clinton's dog and pony show this morning is as desparately kluged together, last minute attempt to steal the thunder from Bill Clinton's top military brass,who support Obama, previously announced press conerence. Wes Clark is bucking to be HRC's VP.

If HRC had so much hands on experience during Bill's 2 terms, than Bill's secretaries of the Army, Navy & Air Force have gotten a close look at her and don't want her answering the phone at 3 a.m.
They prefer the more psychologically stable Obama. If these Secretaries did NOT get a close enough look at HRC during her first lady years, then their choice is based on her actions in the Senate, as compared to Obama. Either way, these are very impressive, well informed, not-given-cause-HRC-promised a general her VP slot, military endorsements.

[BobbyVan]

15. More likely, they think they can overpower/intimidate an inexperienced Obama n/t

[KittyWampus]

18. more likely, they recognize someone who won't bend to the NeoCons

[madfloridian]

14. War war fear fear terror terror....it's 3 am...

I am sick of the national security push Hillary is making. She sounds just like McCain.

[OhioBlue]

16. I'm worried that Hillary will handcuff herself

by ideology and plans drafted in the past.

We've already seen how that worked out for us.

We need a leader who can take the advice of the best minds and consider the current facts and adapt to make the best possible decisions.

[BobbyVan]

17. Obama is the one "handcuffing" himself

He has refused to budge on his "out in 16 months" message, if anything, shortening it to "out in 2009."

But Obama's foreign policy "guru" said that he didn't really mean it, calling it a "best case scenario."

BO had better get his story straight. He's not just some Senator who can change positions at his convenience. He's running for President, and words matter.

[OhioBlue]

20. you've just contradicted yourself. n/t

[BobbyVan]

21. Explain n/t

[OhioBlue]

23. which do you want

a pres who will adapt
or a pres who won't budge?

[BobbyVan]

27. I'd like a pres who doesn't take 2 positions at the same time, like Obama

I want one who will make decisions based on facts on the ground. (ie, adapt)

[rodeodance]

38. Naftagate weasle. ---that was BO---he couldn't get his story straight

[karynnj]

35. You are completely overselling Powers who was not by any measure his

foreign policy "guru".

[loveangelc]

19. so? theyve already raised this issue.

[blm]

24. Obama got to Senate in 2005. Hillary spoke AGAINST Iraq withdrawal timetable in June 2006 along

with Joe Lieberman.

[JimGinPA]

25. Maybe The Clinton Team Should Concentrate On Her "Positves"...

Even though that would be a pretty short phone call.

[anonymous171]

33. lol!

[stray cat]

26. sounds like Clintons are getting a free campaign commercial

[rodeodance]

37. yeah--telll me about all those press confereences BO calls to whin about something!!

[mmonk]

28. And of course, Samantha is no longer there to defend herself.

She was talking about not knowing what you will face logistically. I was wondering, where will the RNC be sitting?

[Medusa]

30. You Mean Wes "I wanna be VP" Clark?

That guy??? :rofl:
He jumped the shark a while back.

[karynnj]

32. Well first off Obama got to the Senate in 2005, not 2004

Obama switched to accepting a deadline earlier than HRC, who , along with Bill Clinton and their buddies were the ones that vilified John Kerry behind his back in the media for Kerry/Feingold agreeing with teh Republicans that it was cut and run. She and the leadership in the Senate gave his and Feingold's amendment, which has since become the basis of the Democratic plan, very little time and then even tried to insist part of the time had to go - at one of the earliest time slots to Leiberman. Republican Senator Warner treated Kerry far better that day than his own party did.

The Clinton team is despicable.